Transfer Peachtree Accounting from 1 PC to another

Have Peachtree Complete Accounting 2002 on one PC running Windows XP, moving office within company and would like to transfer my PCAW 2002 data to another PC running same PCAW 2002 software on ientical PC.How do I do this? I have a CD Writer on the original (source) PC, so I could burn the data, but would someone walk me through this, as I am a complete novice and can't even find my current data when I look for it on my hard disk (but it's there...) , but we are also networked. Help!

I would suggest, although I have no knowledge of the Peachtree package, that it would be a simple case of backing up your accounts data files (most likely built into Peachtree) to CD, or to another PC on the network.

Then install Peachtree on the new PC, and restore the data files from the backup made earlier.

Once everything is up and running on the new PC, uninstall Peachtree from the original PC, unless you have multiple licenses, of course.

However, the thought occurs to me that if you are simply relocating offices within the same building/organisation, wouldn't it be logical to take your PC with you..?

Thanks, daba,No, can't take PC with me, my colleague in same booth shares with all his data etc.,& has personalised "his" PC. I move into another booth, another floor. We have no IT Dept., but PC's were installed and networked by contracted company, ane we have to figure everyhting else ourselves.Don't know where my Peachtree data is, don't know the extension the data is filed under; last time I had to do this, I had to re-enter all the data... don't/can't do this again. there must be a simpler way?

Have you tried 'Help' in Peachtree, and searched for 'Backup/Restore' options.

But there would probably be no need to know where Peachtree stores its data files, only where you back them up to, so you can restore them.

But this now opens up a whole new set of questions....

Does more than one person in your organisation use Peachtree?

Do they use it for the same accounts?

Do you have 'servers'?

In short, Is Peachtree a networked accounts package that multiple users have access to?

It is quite possible that just by installing Peachtree on your new PC and using your normal login name and password, then you may be able to access your accounts data as if you hadn't moved.

Without a full description of how the system has been built, it's hard to know how to advise further.

However, consider the following...

Any good accounts package MUST have an option to backup and restore its ongoing data, it's mission critical to a company.

And I've never come across a package yet that backs up its data and wipes the original. Backing-up data SHOULD BE a completely safe process. Accountancy requires that the data is available for the next 'session' and it is important that it is backed up regularly and securely.

You say you have no IT dept., are you saying that no-one is responsible for Backups of company data, like accounts? Who is responsible for the security of the back-up ? In our company, our server data-files are backed-up EVERY NIGHT, and the backups kept overnight away from the premises. A rolling backup of multiple tapes is used, I'm not sure how many, but I recently had need to restore some files 'lost' about 5 days earlier. Our IT tech. was able to restore the missing files from tape with extreme ease.

Does your company have a contract with the network setup/installation company to 'maintain' the system (by that I mean are they responsible for providing application resource for the networked PCs), in which case, it would be their job to 'move' you, your applications, your network access/priveliges etc. etc.

Oh so many questions, and you thought it might be simple..................

yes,thought it would be simple, and still hopeful...Let me try to answer some of your questions briefly:1)small company, 5 PC's.2) network is through a small server(running Windows 2000 Server Edition), using a 16 port switch/LAN set-up3)missionary work in the field, no one designated to perform back-ups... everyone responsible for their own data, backups, etc.4)no, Peachtree not multilicensed; have 2 individual copies bought seperately, and installed on 2 PC's at different times5)agree with you that the data is there, as we can see the files when we open Peachtree, and can acess them compeletely. Just cannot find the files when we use Windows Explorer... Probably doing something wrong, I know...6)1st PC, mine, only one running the accounts. 2nd PC, my new one, has the programme, but no data yet; cannot transfer my 1st PC, as my colleague has tonnes of stuff and it is easier to just leave the PC with him as, we do not have IT dept to transfer all of his. Mine is just the peachtree stuff...7)wish we had your companies IT Dept ...

The fact that you can't find the Peachtree data files doesn't mean they aren't there. Windows Explorer may be setup not to show 'hidden' files.

Do you even know the filenames/extensions of what you are looking for ?

Where are you looking with Windows Explorer ?

It may be that the data files are kept on the server somewhere, and that pointing the 'new' program at them will enable it to see the accounts data.

Check the SETUP options in Peachtree, (NB. don't change anything !!) to see if there are options for where the data files are kept ?

NB. It may be safer to poke around in the 'new' program on the 'new' PC to get familiar with the setup options and menus, that way you'll be more comfortable when you need to look for the existing setup in the working program.

NB. If you see an option to BACKUP your data, you should do it anyway. If all goes pear-shaped then you should be able to restore this backup, and in any event you may be able to restore the backup into the 'new' program. But doing that may mean you end up with a different storage location (eg. local on the new PC) than what the 'old' program is set up for.

Who did the original installation/setup of Peachtree on your exg. PC ? Surely they should know where the data files are kept. It would almost certainly have been a setup option.

If you are responsible for your own backups, then how do you do this?

What would you do if your PC or hard-drive went AWOL and had to be replaced/re-formatted/re-built. How would you do a restore of the accounts data after re-installing Peachtree?

If you know how to answer that last question, then you are well on your way to solving your original problem, because Peachtree will not be bothered which machine it's running on, providing it knows where, and has access to, its data files.

Since you said the last time you had to manually re-enter the data, I have to assume you are not making backups (or the program is making backups for you that you don't know how to restore).

My advice....

1. spend a good while going through the Help menus on Peachtree, or is there a tutorial you can run through perhaps. Pay particular attention to Data Backup/Restore options.

2. get Peachtree up and running on the new PC, enter some 'trial' data.

3. perform a backup operation as described in the Peachtree help. Particularly note the options for where the backup is to be stored. You may be able to backup to another drive (could be a network drive, or a CD, or even floppy).

4. modify the 'trial' data significantly so you would know its different from the original you backed-up

5. pretend you'd had a system crash, and try to restore the data backup from 3. Note how you specified where the backup data is coming from.

6. verify the data is as original.

Once you've gone through this process with a trial data-set, you'll be comfortable backing up your real data on your exg. PC. (something you should do anyway!!!)

Then you can....

1. get Peachtree running on the new PC.

2. modify its setup options for where its data files are to be stored (this may have been set during installation, check the 'help' on this).

If this location is on a network drive on the server (look in explorer for a drive letter you know can't exist in the local PC, many installations use N: for some reason), then setting the same location as the default data file location may be all that is needed to get new PC working with existing data. If your 'new' PC can't see any network drives, then you need to 'map' these, although for a properly maintained network this is usually done automatically during bootup (so many options on how this is achieved can't go into them all here).

3. restore the backup into the new PCs Peachtree and hey presto, it should look and feel the same as your old PC.

This may sound daunting, but providing you BACKUP your DATA, onto a 'removable' media (your PC can't erase or overwrite a tape or disk in your desk drawer), then you should be safe to try virtually anything.